Board of Practical Training (ER) Block- EA, Sector- I (Opp. Labony Estate), Salt Lake City, Kolkata- 700064 CONCEPT NOTE Obj: Assessment and Certification Methodology for Graduate and Diploma Apprentices. Board of Practical/ Apprenticeship Training located at Kolkata, Kanpur, Mumbai and Chennai are the implementing and monitoring authorities in regards to one year Apprenticeship Training of freshly passed out Graduate, Diploma and 10+2 Vocational students in different establishments. This one year Apprenticeship training under the Apprentice Act 1961 as amended in 1973 & 1986 is precisely on-job training. The training programs followed during the training are industry specific. However, to bring certain uniformity, the Boards ensure that the training programs being followed by different establishments are as per structured format provided by the Boards namely “Basic Constituent of Training Program”. The skill sets which are primarily developed during training are also industry specific. After completion of one year Apprenticeship Training as per the pre-defined program in different establishments, the assessment of the said training program happens to be the biggest challenge being faced by the Boards. This is primarily due to existence of multi-dimensional variant such as trades, scope of training, training environment etc. In the absence of appropriate methodology for assessment of the skill developed after apprenticeship training, the establishments do not have suitable parameters to ensure the competency level of the trained apprentices so that they can be offered direct employment. As a result of which, the establishments do not have much attraction towards such trained apprentices as well as, the trained apprentices do not find adequate opportunities for employment. This certainly calls for creation of „Brand Image for Apprenticeship Training Scheme‟. To move ahead in this direction, it is proposed to revisit/update the existing practices/operating procedure in line with following proposal:(i) Revising/ updating the existing training program: The existing training program being developed and followed by different establishment must be revised update/ tuned to map to the Qualification packs (QPs) developed/ designed by the Sector Skill Council under the directive of National Skill Development Council. (ii) Development of Assessment and Certification Methodology: Mapped with respective Qualification Packs (QPs) for all such candidates who are being trained as apprentices after completion of their training. To have a wider level discussion on the subject, BOPT (ER), Kolkata is going to organize a Group Meeting by inviting HR Professionals / Representatives of leading Industries located in Eastern Region of India and other stake holders such as CII, BCCI, German Chamber of Commerce, Sector Skill Councils on 23rd September, 2014. It is expected that the representatives of participating establishments would come prepared with so as to provide their inputs on the agenda points as mentioned below:1 Item No.1: To increase awareness among the establishments to structure their existing training program for Graduate and Diploma engineers mapped with the standard QPs/OS. National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Govt. of India till date have identified about 19 (Nineteen) Sector Skill Councils as mentioned below. Further exercise is in the process. 1. Automotive Skill Development Council. 2. Security Sector Skill Development Council. 3. Retailers Association‟s Skill Council of India. 4. IT-ITES Sector Skill Council. 5. Media and Entertainment Skill Council. 6. Healthcare Sector Skill Council. 7. Gem & Jewellery Skill Council of India. 8. Leather Sector Skill Council. 9. Rubber Skill Development Council. 10. Electronics Sector Skill Council. 11. Agriculture Skill Council of India. 12. Indian Plumbing Skills Council. 13. Capital Goods Skills Council. 14. Construction Skill Development Council of India. 15. Telecom Sector Skill Council. 16. Mining Sector Skill Council. 17. Apparel Sector Skill Council. 18. Logistics Sector Skill Council. 19. Iron and Steel Sector Skill Council. The establishments are to identify the respective Sectors in which their industries belong. They may visit the site of NSDC (www.nsdcindia.org) and find the list of identified Sector Skill Councils. They can find further details in respect of their Sector Skill Councils through the link provided therein (please find link “National Occupational Standard [NOS]” and click for further details). All the different SSCs have identified many numbers of Qualification Packs (QPs) which is further divided into different Occupational Standards (OS). With this information, the establishments should identify the QPs/OS which are mapped with the Skill sets they are providing in their existing Apprenticeship Training Program for degree and diploma engineers. The representatives are required to identify/map their existing training programs with the standard QP/OS as mentioned in their respective Sector Skills in respect of graduate and diploma engineers. Thereby they are required to include different QPs/OS along with their codes in their existing programs to make it uniform and standardized as per the guidelines of NSDC/SSCs. The representatives of the establishments are requested to come prepared in this regard and share their experience as whether they have been able to standardize their training programs by mapping with the existing QP/OS as per the guidelines of respective SSCs. 2 Item No.2: To define more number of QPs/OS to add on the existing list of QPs/OS in association with respective SSCs. The establishments are requested to initiate/take-up action in association with respective SSCs in defining/designing more number of QPs/OS, in case, any organization finds that the existing list of QPs/OS are not sufficient enough in numbers and are not mapping with the Skill set mentioned in their existing training programs. There is all likely that the existing list of QPs and OS in different SSCs may not cover all the Skill sets required by different training establishments. They are requested to immediately take-up the matter with their respective SSCs. Item No.3: To develop model for assessment and certification of apprentices on completion of their training. The participants are requested to provide input on the subject whether this standardization of their training programs in respect of degree, diploma engineers in their establishments would be appropriate to make the Apprenticeship Training Program more uniform and aligned with the requirement of industries. The participants are required to given an input on methodology of assessment and certification as on-line computer based skill test would be appropriate to ascertain the level of skill development or it may necessarily require practical assessment of the trainees vis-à-vis justification on the involvement of the costs. 3